252 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



Indeed, this leads quite out of the sphere of externality 

 and dependence and brings us face to face with the 

 internal and spontaneous. And the question very pro- 

 perly arises whether we have not here the real solution of 

 the question of " final causes." 



The answer to this question in its universal character 

 was reached, indeed, at an earlier stage of our inquiry, 

 when the general question of causality was under con- 

 sideration. Here, however, the question presents itself 

 as to the adaptation of means to ends, as exhibited in the 

 physical world. 



First of all, it is evident that the results arrived at 

 in nature, show plan or method, and therefore, purpose. 

 This cannot be reasonably denied. But that plan and 

 purpose are imposed upon nature by some power external 

 to nature is a view which the whole course of the pre- 

 ceding argument tends absolutely to refute. Nature, or 

 the external world, is, as we have seen, nothing else than 

 the externalization or outerance of the internal world 

 which is otherwise to be named Spirit. The purpos- 

 ing, planning Intelligence, proofs of the activity of which 

 appear at every turn, is precisely the inner, vital prin- 

 ciple which, instead of applying itself upon a world of 

 externality already at hand, unfolds itself in a world of 

 externality which is thus nothing else than Spirit thus 

 far self -realized in the forms of the space-world. 



The plan of the world, the "established order" 

 which Mr. Spencer recognizes as a necessary phase of 

 the totality of existence, is nothing else than the perfect 

 method of the divine Spirit, whose eternal activity 

 exhibits, necessarily, the two absolutely balanced and 

 complementary phases of involution and evolution of 



